August 2002
Bureaucracy, Finance, Industry, Media, Police, Transport The final lanes of the M6 Motorway have been re-opened following the completion of works to repair the damage sustained during the joint Castelan / Government operation. Damage to the carriageway forced local authorities to close four lanes when an assessment by engineers showed severe structural damage to key parts. The emergency works have had to be funded by GAOM, who are still being investigated by the courts with regards to the legality of the operation. In the meantime, several offices in the city are now believed to have been used by Special Branch, and have since been vacated for fear of a local uprising following the action. Legal, Police, Politics If the rumors surrounding possible operations by Special Branch within the city are true, the question remains what was their role here? Castelan are supposed to have successfully contracted for all aspects of the city’s security and policing, so unless the involvement was purely a training exercise (unlikely), it seems likely that their presence is connected to the current investigations into the legality of their methods. If this is true, then Castelan’s days within the city could be numbered. However, given that their parent company, GAOM, has raised the levels of employment in the city, it seems likely that they will be able to excerpt some measure of pressure over local authorities to prevent any further action against them. Bureaucracy, Finance, Health, High Society, Industry, Media, Police, Politics, University The local political map has been thrown into turmoil following the resignation of Sean Bowden from his post as local councilor. Bowden, who has been ill recently, rose to prominence following his successfully power-grab on a "Stoke First" ticket and his backing of both the Hartshill Development Project and the revitalization of the areas Health Service. However, following a long period in which Bowden was accused of everything from cronyism to misappropriation of funding, he was rushed into hospital in what was believed to have been a stress-induced coma. Although the announcement ends months of speculation with regards his political future, the likelihood of his remaining completely removed from politics is slim with a number of industries keen to employ him as a political consultant. Meanwhile, the resignation quashes any chance for the proposed revitalization of the Health Service, leaving both local hospitals and universities to look elsewhere for funding for works already undertaken. High Society, Media, Occult, Police, Underworld, University Castelan are investigating the apparent theft of a number of pieces from the archeological site at Keele University. Five pieces were stolen from what is believed to have been the site of a ceremonial killing dating back to the final days of Roman occupation in the city. What made the findings unusual was the emphasis on what can only be described as an Egyptian design. Castelan are investigating the theft due its complexity, the security systems were powered down and the theft happened under the noses of security. Castelan are also keen for informants to come forward with any news about the attempted distribution of the goods on the open market, although given the apparent rarity of the finds it seems likely that the goods have now been moved out of the area. Health, Industry, Street, University Local universities and health authorities continue to work together with industry in order to develop a vaccine for the flu strain that continues to plague the city. The problem is becoming increasingly acute, with a number of apparently homeless people (due to their appearance the bodies are initially identified as homeless persons), being found dead at locations across the city, only to be later identified as missing students. Also of concern is the increasing number of missing students from both of the city’s universities, although this factor has been kept out of the media. Meanwhile, the virus seems to have once again mutated, with an increasing number of victims showing signs of internal hemorrhaging. Church, Finance, Industry, Media, Occult, Police, Politics Following the large scale donations made to local churches by GAOM, a number of religious organizations in the area have returned their donations in protest of Castelan’s treatment of minority groups. Castelan, and by extension their parent group GAOM, continue to be placed under pressure with regards to their recent human rights record and reliance on firepower. Despite the supposed retirement of Sean Bowden, it seems likely that more than one individual within local politics will emerge to figurehead the campaign against the security group. Health, High Society, Occult The Crimson Jihad (sic) continues to be spoken of in hushed terms, and the rumours surrounding their supposed activities continue to flourish. Some have begun to speculate as to whether the group is in any way linked to the group of (supposed) industrialists who are said to be running the city from behind the scenes. The rumors remain mere speculation at the moment, but are sure to continue the growing interest in a group that everyone seems to want to be a part of, but no one can actually find out whether they exist. Bureaucracy, Politics, Transport Just why is so much money being put into re-opening the city’s canals as a means of industrial transportation? For years the majority of canal traffic was limited to leisure pursuits, but now it seems that a number of businesses are beginning to use the routes again, especially given the current problems with both the city’s rail and road networks. More mysterious is the question of what company originally thought of re-opening the network as a means of mass-transportation? Church, Health, Media, Politics, Street Local church leaders are hoping that the city has progressed since the race riots last year, but fear that right wing groups may try to stir up trouble on the event of the anniversary. Many believe that the fears are unfounded and once again just point towards rising stress levels in the city. Street, Underworld Just what has happened to G8 Suppress? They promised to "Rain fire upon the city", but seem to have gone quiet over the last few months. Certainly a number of groups, including Sandernacht and the Gambino’s, were looking for them, fearing that they would bring unwanted interests into the city, but it seems unlikely that they will have gone away without someone hearing about it. One possibility is that they’re planning something big for later in the year, but given that we're approaching the first anniversary of September 11th, surely no group would be willing to risk the backlash?